


Happy Birthday

by vesperiadreams



Category: Founder of Diabolism, The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Gen, HBD Jiang Cheng, Modern AU, birthday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 06:12:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16592357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vesperiadreams/pseuds/vesperiadreams
Summary: Everyone in the Jiang household seems to be busy during Jiang Cheng's birthday. On top of that, Wei Wuxian comes home after 4 years of studying overseas. Will Jiang Cheng ever celebrate his special day without being overshadowed by his adoptive brother?





	Happy Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> This is a modern AU set in a fictional world where the main sect families are forerunners of specific business.  
> The Jiang clan own the Yunmeng University City who Yu Ziyuan is the CEO and part owner of.  
> The Lan clan own Gusu Records, a music company that is run by Lan XIChen. Lan Wangji and Jiang YanLi are one of their talents.  
> The Jin clan own Carp Tower Entertainment, a media and film company which is owned by Jin GuangShan but is run by his eldest son, Jin Zixuan.  
> The Nie clan own Darkland Industries, a livestock company that is slowly gaining popularity with their mall chain venture.  
> The Wen clan own Solar Energies , a electric power company.
> 
> I'm still fleshing out ideas and working on an overall plot line. For now, I'll update single chapters that will hopefully lead up to what would read like a cohesive story.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Autumn has officially began but the day was unnaturally warm. It was a good thing that Jiang Cheng took the day off from school. He hadn't anticipated that Wei Wuxian's flight would arrive earlier than scheduled. He had quickly sent Jiang Yanli a text message, letting her know of the schedule change. He knew that his older sister was busy recording a song for her new single and hoped that she could leave a little earlier. He leaned back against his chair and stared at the empty parking spaces in the Gusu Records guest parking lot.

After waiting for a quarter past, Jiang Cheng decided to shrug his black Yunmeng University hoodie off and tossed it over the passenger seat. He had been checking his phone for a while and hadn't heard from his sister. Jiang Cheng checked his phone again before he decided to step out of the car. A cool wind swept past him as he closed the door and leaned against it. His hands itched to grab a cigarette. It had been a month since he stopped smoking but it was when he was idle that the feeling would come back. He checked his phone one last time before he decided to walk into the Gusu Records building.

The entryway was a massive white and sky blue with specs of gray detailing the waiting area. The floors looked like mirrors, pristine white marble that reflected the shadows of footsteps. Natural light streamed down from the ceiling, bringing with it the blues of the stained glass. A huge cloud pattern greeted him at the end of the reception hall, the soft hum of a pre-recorded zither wafting through.

Jiang Cheng walks toward the reception desk and was greeted by a lady with a stoic face in a cerulean uniform. "Excuse me," He began. "I'm here for Jiang YanLi."

The lady looked at him as if she was waiting for an explanation. He almost scratched his head but quickly shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm her younger brother. I'm here to pick her up."

The lady looked at him as if he wasn't there. 

Jiang Cheng tried very hard not to grind his teeth. "... I'll wait around here until she's done then." He walked toward the grey and wood couch wondering what was taking up his sister's time. Before he could sit down, his phone vibrated and a loud barking sound echoed in the room. He hurriedly answered the call as he ducked his head, hiding a faint blush. "Hello? A-jie?"

"Hello, A-Cheng?" the voice that responded sounded construed and horribly mimicked. The baby talk was enough to make him throw his phone away. He breathed in and gritted his teeth. 

"Wei Wuxian?! You disrespectful little...!" The laughter on the other end only made his blush reach the tip of his ears. "I'm going to end you when I see you!" 

"A-Cheng? Is that you?" 

Jiang Cheng whipped his head around and saw his sister standing beside a tall and elegant man. He looked pleasant and friendly. "This must be your brother," the man tilted his head forward, the sky blue and silver cloud patterns of his collar pins glistening against the light. 

Jiang Cheng immediately remembered his manners. He bowed, "Lan XiChen! Thank you for always taking care of my sister!" 

Lan XiChen, the CEO of Gusu Records, had a soft and kind voice. He chuckled and waved his hand, "Not at all. I should thank you sister for taking care of us."

"Jiang WanYin! Are you paying attention?!" The voice on the phone brought Jiang Cheng back to his senses.

"I almost forgot! A-jie! Wei Ying will be back today. We need to pick him up from the airport."

"Is Shijie there? Hey! Jiang WanYin! Don't ignore me!" Wei Wuxian was practically screaming through Jiang Cheng’s phone.

Jiang Cheng ended the call and smiled smugly. "But I think his flight got delayed." 

Jiang Yanli's face lit up. "That's wonderful, A-Cheng! I'm so happy he'll be back in time for your birthday! We should do a double celebration!" 

Jiang Cheng forced a smile. "Y-yeah. So thoughtful of him."

"Oh? What good timing. I'm on my way to the airport too. My brother is arriving today. In fact, that is why I am leaving early," Lan XiChen motioned toward the elevator hallway. "How about I drive all of us to the airport?" 

"We can't possibly inconvenience you, Mr. Lan," Jiang YanLi smiled and bowed. "We thank you for your kind offer. We know how precious your time with your brother is. A-Cheng also brought his car so we will be fine on our own." 

Lan XiChen responded with a smile, "A pity. It wouldn't have been an inconvenience at all. But you are correct. My brother may be too tired from the trip. I appreciate your consideration. And," He turned to Jiang Cheng, "Happy birthday." 

Jiang Cheng couldn't help but feel flustered. He didn’t expect that someone he didn’t know would outrightly greet him. He bowed his thanks and only raised his head when he felt like his cheeks had cooled. Lan XiChen had already gone ahead. Jiang YanLi giggled, "A-Cheng, you're blushing." 

Jiang Cheng coughed and straightened himself. "Are you ready, A-jie?" He held his hand out. His heart was full of pride. His sister was a popular singer in the industry. She was not a record breaking artist but she was definitely one of the best when it comes to classical songs. She was also slowly becoming known for her great cooking skills. Many cooking shows have been asking her to be a guest judge or participant. Because of that, she has become more popular. 

Jiang YanLi giggled again as she took his hand and slipped her hands into the crook of his arm. "You'll be 21 soon, A-Cheng. You have done so much in these 20 years. I am very proud of you." 

Jiang Cheng grunted in response, hugging her closer to him as he led her to the parking area. "Wei Ying is already waiting at the airport. We should hurry."

\- * - 

A couple of magazines were piled beside Wei Wuxian. He had been randomly browsing through the magazines in the lounge while he occasionally looked up to check if he saw any familiar faces on the other side of the glass wall. Wei Wuxian figured that staying at the waiting area was better than getting scolded. He hadn't expected his flight to be moved two hours earlier.

He casually flipped through the magazine he brought from the plane. He smiled when he saw an article of Jiang Yanli. He couldn't wait to eat his favorite lotus pork rib stew. Wei Wuxian was in the middle of reminiscing when he realized that a man in a dark blue coat was standing in front of him. "How may I help you, young man?" 

The young man was about the same age as he was with skin like jade. His eyes reminded Wei Wuxian of the stained glass in the cathedral he had studied in. The man’s eyes looked delicate but his face looked bored. Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but offer a smile. 

"They are waiting for you." 

Wei Wuxian could smell the soft scent of sandalwood as the young man walked away.

He then noticed a displeased young man in a purple tank top with a black "Yunmeng University" hoodie loosely tied around his shoulders. Beside him was a young woman with a warm smile and a warm voice calling out his name. 

"Wei Ying!" 

Wei Wuxian forgot about the magazine, grabbed his bag, and rushed toward them. "Shijie! Jiang Cheng!" 

"Bastard! What are you daydreaming about? Why’d you have Mr. Lan's brother call you! Do you have any manners?!" Jiang Cheng grabbed him by the neck and roughly tousled his hair. 

Jiang Yanli bowed her thanks at the Lan brothers who were standing behind the two rowdy young men. "It's good to see you again, Lan WangJi. I hope you had a smooth flight." 

Lan WangJi nodded. He looked at Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng as they bowed respectfully. 

Lan Xichen smiled. "It's really nothing. Wangji was also seated close to your brother and realized you were trying to get his attention. Right, Wangji?" Lan Wangji nodded in response. "Well, we should be going before we attract any more attention. Excuse us." Both brothers gave a quick bow and exited the airport. 

Jiang Cheng slapped Wei Wuxian's back. "Been a long time! Start paying attention!" 

Wei Wuxian hunched over, pretending to be in pain. "Shijie, A-Cheng is bullying me. I just got back too." 

"Big sister! Don't listen to this bastard!" 

Jiang Yanli laughed. "Both of you are grown men but you're still acting like you're three years old! Come, mom and dad are expecting us." 

Jiang Cheng looked confused. "Dad is home?" 

Wei Wuxian and Jiang Yanli gave Jiang Cheng a knowing smile. "That's what mom said," Jiang Yanli hooked her arms around the two boys and tugged them forward. "if you don't want to get whipped, we better start heading back!” 

-*-

Jiang Cheng ordered Wei Wuxian to get his things and greet his parents while he parks the car. He asked Jiang Yanli to accompany Wei Wuxian, remembering that their neighbor had recently bought a dog. He knew that Wei Wuxian will start looking for the tallest structure to climb on when a dog is concerned. He didn't want to have to bother his parents with Wei Wuxian's antics.

In truth, he was elated. His family was complete for once. It was a blessing that all of them were here during his birthday. It was sad that everyone was just too busy to have prepared anything. 

Jiang Cheng smiled bitterly as he thought of how his dad must have rushed back from his business trip because Wei Wuxian was home. He was sure that his dad coming home for his birthday was just a bonus. He decided that, like every other time, to ignore it. He should just focus on the good things. With that thought, he got out of the car and went inside the house. 

The first thing Jiang Cheng noticed was that neither his parents were at home and that his elder siblings were in the kitchen. His seat had already been prepared. A bowl of Lotus pork ribs was steaming on the table. It felt good but terribly lonely. 

After what felt like years, Jiang Cheng asked, “A-Jie… will mom and dad be home soon?”

“Hmm… mom did say she was coming home. Dad said the same thing. They must be on their way?”

“Oh.”

“Cheer up! I have a gift for you!” Wei Wuxian took a small box from his pocket and handed it over to Jiang Cheng. “Open it!” 

Jian Cheng looked incredulously at the box. He grew even more suspicious when Wei Wuxian urged him to open it. He slowly opened the box and was pleasantly surprised it wasn't a bad gift. 

“It's a pair of 9 petal lotus earrings! I got it made just for you! Do you like it?”

“Not bad, Wei Wuxian. It's not actually… Ugly.” Jiang Cheng fastened one of the earrings on his right earlobe. 

“Ugly?! “ Wei Wuxian sputtered. “Since when have I ever given you ugly gifts?!”

“If I can name one then can you give your life as a gift to my son?” the tone of authority in Madam Yu’s voice was absolute. She walked silently into the kitchen with a fancy wrapped box in her hand. Her eyebrows were raised at Wei Wuxian. 

The three stood up and greeted Yu Ziyuan. Jiang Yanli was quick to pacify her mother by reminding her that Wei Wuxian had just arrived and they were just being friendly.

“Friendly? Wei Wuxian! Get the groceries I bought from the car. You're so useless.”

Wei Wuxian saluted and quickly left the kitchen. 

“Honestly, how useless is that cousin of yours!” Madam Yu huffed. She placed the box on the table. “And you!” Turning to Jiang Cheng, she walked toward him, bent over and hugged him tight. “Happy birthday, son!”

Jiang Cheng was surprised. His mom never displayed this much affection. She had always been strict and stern, teaching him how to become an exemplary swimmer, just as she was. He hugged her back. “Mom!”

Madam Yu patted Jiang Cheng's back fondly. “There, there. You are now a grown man. How can you cry?”

“That's right, A-Cheng. You are now a man.” Jiang Fengmian appeared behind Madam Yu. He was carrying a birthday cake with lit candles. Behind Jiang Fengmian was Wei Wuxian and his dorky face. 

“Surprise!” Wei Wuxian placed a party hat on Jiang Cheng’s head. “Happy birthday, A-Cheng!”

“Happy birthday, A-Cheng!” 

Jiang Cheng was at a loss for words. Never in his life did he expect that his family would be here for him. Not for anyone else but for him, to celebrate his birthday. He choked up a “thank you” as he blew the candles. He wished that this happiness would continue and that his family would be with him forever.


End file.
